For almost every MCM pupil, it was our first ever time participating in the World Scholar’s Cup (also fondly known as WSC!) so we hadn’t much of a clue in terms of what sort of scene to expect when we stepped into the theatre/dance studio after arriving at Raffles. Upon entering, the first thing we saw were alpacas. Though it sounds odd, we weren’t really too surprised, as we knew that alpacas were the WSC’s mascot. There must’ve been almost 200 alpacas surrounding the stage, as there were almost 200 pupils participating; from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Throughout the first day, each team had to debate three different motions, write a collaborative essay, and answer a 120 question test (the Scholar’s Challenge). On Monday, we met two hosts that hadn’t been there previously: Daniel and Burch. These two were the biggest reasons why the Scholar’s Bowl was so much fun and not too stressful, as both had an amazing sense of humour. Shortly after the Bowl ended, we had to recite vows to be good alpaca parents before getting our hands on the adorable furry creatures.
But the day didn’t end there, as two more events were coming up: the talent show and the awards ceremony. In total, MCM had six students selected for the show to reveal their talents, known or hidden. It proves that truly everyone has something to share and never should they be doubted. It was incredibly exciting once the Awards Ceremony started, as we kept hearing ‘Marlborough College Malaysia’ being announced! My team (Hannah Syed, Ahmad Irfan Amani Ahmad Tajuddin, and Farah Amanina Salikan) was the 1st placed team in the Essay Writing competition. Shannon Branney, Hao Wen Liang, and Kahmilla Chambers came 3rd for the Team Debates. As for individual achievements, Danial Izat came 5th and Shannon came 2nd in Debating, whilst I won the Essay Writing competition, placing 1st.
MCM had a star pupil on its side by the name of James Gibson, who teamed up with two of his friends from Singapore and they were named best team at WSC, as well as completely smashing the Team Debates and the Scholar’s Challenge. James also achieved 2nd in Debating, 2nd in the Scholar’s Challenge and 1st place as the top WSC scholar, which is the highest degree of honour possible at the WSC!
We were all delighted that we qualified for the next stage of the WSC competition, and I am sure that we will return to experience the excitement of the World Scholar’s Cup again!
